Cavaleiro's mixes it up with Mediterranean fare

The Lowell Sun

Posted:
11/14/2012 08:24:03 AM EST

LOWELL -- A beef tenderloin sizzled and sputtered on a slab of dark granite sitting in front of Michael Cavaleiro as he as his brother Manny spoke of the presentation of the meal, which guests cook themselves at their table.

"If they overcook it, they can't blame the chef," Michael said.

Very little labor is required to prepare the Steak on a Stone at the brothers' restaurant, Cavaleiro's -- the filet only needs five minutes on the imported 400-degree stone to reach medium temperature. It could take up to 15 minutes for it to cook all the way through for diners who prefer their meat prepared well done, but it leaves plenty of time for conversation and a glass of wine, perhaps the Vinha do Almo (a red wine with hints of plum, blackberry, and spice) from Portugal's Alentejo region,

"With fine dining you expect to take a little extra time and enjoy your entrée," Manny said.

Advertisement

Another eye-catching dish at the eatery is the Paelha Valenciana, a saffron rice-based recipe that the matriarch of the Cavaleiro family would prepare for her sons on special occasions. The dish, piled high with a medley of chicken, pork, clams, mussels, scallops, green peppers, linguica, shrimp, calamari, and half a lobster, is cooked and served in a cataplana, a copper shell-like pot used for steaming food.

The menu at Cavaleiro's, updated twice annually, has since grown from solely Portuguese fare to include offerings from around the Mediterranean.

The Cavaleiro brothers opened their Lawrence Street restaurant in December 2004. Their parents purchased the large brick building in 1979, and ran from there the first Portuguese restaurant in the Mill City until 1989. When tenants vacated the space in 2003, the brothers saw an opportunity.

"It's only been a restaurant for 30 years," Michael said. "Why not keep it a restaurant? Keep the tradition?"

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of Nashoba Publishing. So keep it civil.